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 Minimalist singer/songwriter Nathan Amundson began recording as Rivulets in 1999, when his self-titled debut was issued by Chair Kickers' Union, the Duluth, MN, label run by the veteran slowcore outfit Low. Often driven only by voice or quiet guitar, Rivulets was frighteningly gentle, yet genuinely powerful. The brooding love songs of Mark Kozelek's Red House Painters were an apt comparison, as were the acute, windswept soundscapes of Iceland's Sigur Rós. Most often, the music suggested the isolation and odd beauty found at the center of an iced-over lake in the middle of winter. Rivulets' spare sound was also augmented at times by various musicians, including Low principals Alan Sparhawk and Mimi Parker. Between '99 and 2004, Rivulets issued a series of CD EPs, and contributed to numerous compilations. Two full-length albums appeared through Chair Kickers' Union, 2002's self-titled effort and "Debridement" a year later.
Writing songs, on and off, since he was thirteen, Olaf finally started taking his music seriously two-and-a-half years ago. Since, he's been writing songs for his band Jalowski, and performing solo stuff on an irregular basis. After being rejected by the Rockacademie, he ran into some old friends from High School, who just started their own record label, in august 2007. They offered to work with him without having heard a single note of his music and the collaboration resulted in a four-song demo. Now watch closely, and the story will unfold before your very eyes. Op een donkere vrijdagochtend in 2004, rond 11 uur, loopt de broer van Olaf een huiskamer binnen. En daar zit het dan. Op de spaanse gitaar van hun vader ramt hij barre-akkoorden of zijn leven ervan afhangt, en jankt vage teksten over drukke pleinen, meisjes, en de prijs van wasmachines. Sterk beinvloed door de helden van zijn ouders (Dylan, Young, Cohen) en indie-rock (van Dinosaur Jr. tot Death Cab for Cutie), zingt hij zijn ongepolijste nummers met de "whine" van Bright Eyes. Later gaat hij meer richting de Americana van Gram Parsons en Ryan Adams. En wordt hij vergeleken met Lou Reed, maar dat is, in zijn eigen woorden, "dikke vette poep. Je klinkt zelf als Lou Reed!" Juryrapport Grote Prijs van Zuid-Holland: ...Jongen met ideeën. Wars van mainstream en conventies. Een subtiele stem, uitgebalanceerd en met veel dynamiek. Leuk gevonden gitaarlijntjes, vaak erg spaarzaam en intiem. Je durft hem bijna niet op het podium te zetten, zo weerloos klinkt het bij tijd en wijlen.
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vr 13/08/10 vr 20/08/10 ma 06/09/10 di 07/09/10 di 14/09/10 za 11/09/10 vr 17/09/10 do 23/09/10 vr 24/09/10 di 28/09/10 do 30/09/10 up and coming shows -------------------- |
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